


Of Moss and Men

by EtherealNyx



Series: Pre-Game Galar Works [15]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Gen, Hop won't stop monologuing for five seconds about his aspirations, Light Angst, not LITERALLY but. you’ll see, rest in peace you beautiful bastard, this fic is me mourning Cursturd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-10-29 10:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20794964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealNyx/pseuds/EtherealNyx
Summary: Glimwood Tangle. Some say it’s cursed. Residents tend to vanish at a rate that’s ten times the regional average. It’s obviously the perfect place for some research!In which Sonia wants to study population distribution and Hop wants to know what the hell a ethogram is.





	1. Legend Has It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I go to a conservation bio magnet school, so this news thing? RIGHT up my alley!!! I’m so hype! We’re literally doing the same thing in a week so!!!! *vibrates* 
> 
> That being said, there was a fake leak with names that I was SUPER fond of and now I’m sad it’s not real. I mean, they’re totally not doing a trailer on the 2nd of October now, so :’))) I weep
> 
> Okay, that’s all! On with the show!

_ Glimwood Tangle is one of those areas which feels more like a horror story than a reality. Of course, for people like us, that makes it all the better! Yes, people don’t randomly walk off into the glen in other cities in Galar, but they’re truly missing out on a unique living experience! Besides, don’t act like other regions are so superior. We all know what happens to those poor Unovans who go into the light. _

_ \-  _ an excerpt from _ _A Sinnohan’s Guide to the Weird and Unusual__

* * *

  
She was leaning against a tree when she heard it.

Notes wafted through the air, each one spelling out a melody she hadn’t heard in years. The sound was faint, but oh so beautiful. It was full of all the words she didn’t know and the feelings she couldn’t describe. And it was getting closer. And closer. And closer still.

Tears slid down her cheeks. She had never understood the concept of rapture before this moment, and she did not want to go back to living without the utter ecstasy coursing through her veins. The sound grew louder, more deafening, but none of the words made sense. 

  
  
“I can’t tell what you’re saying!” She cried out to the unknown musicians.

“Sonia.” They whispered from the dark. “Sonia. Sonia. Sonia.”

A little finger poked her hard in the cheek. “ _ Sonia! _ ”

  
  
“I’m up!” The young researcher shouted on reflex, flailing her limbs all over the place.

  
“Careful!” Hop jerked away from her reach. “You almost knocked over the hot chocolate!”

  
  
She stared blearily at his pout, bemused. “What do you mean by that? Gran and I don’t have hot chocolate in the house.”

  
  
“I brought you some!” He said proudly. “And now you say thank you, okay?”

Most people would have asked sensible questions like ‘how did you get in here’ and ‘why do you think bringing someone hot chocolate without prompting is socially acceptable’, but Sonia was a simple girl who appreciated cocoa and the company of kids who were truly eager to learn. She took the offered cup with a smile. “Did you need something or are you just being a mother Blaziken again?” Even when exhausted, it was hard to resist a little gentle ribbing.

“You said you’d tell me about your new research project today!” Hop crossed his arms with the air of a teen several years his senior. “Don’t tell me you  _ forgot. _ ” 

Now, she  _ did  _ forget, but why would she ever admit that? If there was one thing she had that Leon didn’t, it was the ability to evade biting criticisms from children. “I’m very sleep deprived, Hop.” Sonia told him plainly. “I absolutely will once I’ve sobered up a little!” With that being said, she took a careful sip of her drink.  _ Damn. Lukewarm.  _ “Why don’t you take a look at the brochures I have on the desk there? See anything that stands out to you?” 

Automatically, the young boy bounded over to the desk. “Hm! Hmmm! Hmmmmmm!” Sometimes, she wondered if he did that on purpose.

“Oh!” Hop exclaimed. “Are you going to visit Opal? Wait, why would that be for research purposes? Isn’t she an actress?”

Sonia nodded. “I am going to visit her, yes, but that’s mostly just because I’ll be sharing the same geographical zone as her for a few days. My actual target is Glimwood Tangle. Can you guess why?”

He made a face. “Well, it’s not for Dynamaxing. Your grandma usually makes you go to that place with the lakes or stadiums for that. And you told me before that another professor requested your assistance, which is why Leon was here for a few days to help translate. So it has to be a professor who speaks Kantonese… Ooo, ooo! Lemme guess! You’re doing habitat research for the Hoenn guy!” 

By the end, he looked incredibly pleased. The sight was enough to make her laugh. “Close! It’s actually  _ distribution  _ work.”  _ The Hoenn guy…  _ Sonia suppressed a snort. “Professor Birch is only one of many people who are interested in documenting which species reside there! Parts of it remain untouched by man, so far as we know. Anything could be out there! That’s why I’m going to put a camera up and see what we can see.” 

“Just a camera?” He asked, disappointed. “Isn’t that kinda boring?”

“It’s not  _ just  _ a camera.” She corrected him. “It’s a camera with passive infrared sensors! Isn’t that grand? I mean, it has a live feed, but 24 hours is a lot to comb through. Taking individual shots will be beneficial, even though it won’t pick up everything.”

Hop poked her cheek again. “You sound like you’re already preparing for some fancy speech.” 

“Well, I  _ am  _ hoping to discover a previously undocumented species.” 

  
  
“You’re  _ what?!?”  _ He gasped, hands flying up to cover his mouth. “Sis, that’s incredible!”

His enthusiastic words echoed in her brain; it was completely, utterly, without a shadow of a doubt, embarrassing to be subjected to. Truly, pretending to suck up dregs in order to stall was pathetic. “It really isn’t. Many people have that aspiration. What do you think about the project though?”

  
  
Peer review was always essential for work like this. Hop wasn’t one of her colleagues by any means, but he had uncanny insight from time to time. It helped to have someone who thought so differently offering input on her procedures and expectations. 

“I don’t fully get why you don’t want to use a camera with  _ active  _ infrared sensors because you’d get a lot of good shots of ghosts, but it sounds okay! Except for one thing. Isn’t it super dangerous over there?!?” He slammed his hands on the desk, slightly disturbing a stack of papers she had meticulously created. “You could totally vanish and never be seen again!”

_ Ah. The disappearance rate.  _ Sonia thought to herself.  _ He’s worried about something like that? That’s sweet of him. _

“I’m not going to up and leave on you people. I still have so many things to do!” She rubbed his shoulder, trying to be reassuring. “I need you guys around to remind me to eat after all.” As if on cue, her stomach grumbled.

They looked at each other for a long moment before breaking out into peals of laughter. 

Sonia sheepishly patted her belly. “I guess I’m hungrier than I thought!” She quipped. “Have you eaten lunch yet?”   


“Nope. I was gonna make some toast with your bread. There’s no food in my house right now!” Hop was a frank kid. Some would call that a bad thing. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not!” She replied automatically. “My toast is your toast.” 

The look he gave her, like she had grown two extra heads, was not good for her self esteem. “Riiight…” He retreated from the room. “Last one there’s a rotten Exeggcute!” 

Hop beat her, but only because Sonia wasn’t really trying. 

They mostly ate in silence, though ambient noise made the meal less awkward. Hop kept kicking her, though she was sure it was unintentional. In any case, it seemed to escape his notice. When he was working through a problem in his head, the world around him seemed to fade away into oblivion.

  
  
“Pokedollar for your thoughts?” She ventured, having devoured her cereal in record time. 

Hop paused in the midst of biting into a slice of bread, crumbs falling from his mouth. “Huh? What was that?”

Sonia, knowing she’d have to sweep before turning in for a longer nap, lost the fight against her sigh. “If you’re plotting within my anti-scheme radius, that’s wrong and also illegal.”

Rather than answer right away, he shoved the rest of the toast into his mouth. “It’s nothing like that. I’m curious too, you know!” 

Lots of people were. She didn’t see how that could make him stand out from the pack, no matter which way she sliced it. “Just say what you mean, Hop.” Tacking on a ‘you’re almost 13’ sounded good in theory, but he had left the distinct impression that he’d react poorly to such a statement a  _ long _ time ago.

Hop gave her an oddly serious look. “Promise you won’t laugh. Oh, and that you’ll think hard on it before saying no! I won’t tell you until you do.”

  
  
“Yes, I promise!” Sonia said patiently. She was dying to know what he was making a fuss about. “What is it?”

  
He splayed his fingers out on the table. “Are you really super serious about going to Glimwood Tangle?”

  
  
Answering the question with a nod felt insufficient, but she did so anyway. “Of course! It’ll be a great opportunity.” She answered honestly; there wasn’t room in her brain for falsehoods about her passion for her work. “Is that all?”

“No.” Hop stared at her, yellow eyes steely with determination. “Sonia, I want to go with you. That’s my proposition.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few notes to share because I'm lame
> 
> \- this is obviously written prior the October 4th 24 hr livestream, but it looks very spooky!!!
> 
> \- I think Opal (she's a mentioned gym leader) resides in the mushroom city on the map
> 
> \- cameras with passive infrared sensors are activated by heat and motion while cameras with active infrared sensors only react to motion! woo!
> 
> \- Hop and Sonia aren't siblings but they're close enough that he treats her as such, quite obviously
> 
> \- As mentioned in the summary, I picture Glimwood Tangle as a forest that people tend to just leave their homes and wander into. Is that a weird thing to get from 'strange woods'? Yes! 
> 
> Anyway, hilariously enough while writing this, I was so sleep deprived that I ended up hallucinating badly enough to add a bunch of random people to a group DM on discord. I have no idea what the intent was there. I don't even know if y'all read this gfojfgfo
> 
> okay that's all for now! thanks so much for the support; comments and kudos are always appreciated!


	2. On an Axis of 23 Degrees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some valid concerns are less about age and more about safety. Hop GETS that; he just wishes people would stop treating him like a too young doll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I firmly apologize to anyone who also does not know what an ethogram is. This fic makes fun of my 9th grade self so much because I missed the lesson on ethograms and was really fucked for my research class for a day. Anyway, this is more setup than anything!!! Chapter 3 will be done after the livestream, so look forward to it!

Honestly, Sonia’s knee jerk rejection of his brilliant idea was probably because of the ethogram thing. Hop didn’t know what an ethogram was exactly, but to him, it seemed like a crucial part of his education that he was being deprived of. 

Here was the thing. Hop knew he was smart. There was no doubt in his mind about that. He understood what Sonia talked about half the time, when she bothered to explain, and he could hold a conversation with Victor’s teachers about breeding without sounding like the novice he was. The way he saw it, if he could relate concepts back to what he used to do as a coordinator, everything clicked. Math, science, physical activity - so long as it applied to what he enjoyed, it was simple. But he didn’t know what an ethogram was. 

“Is it because… you know…” He struggled with the words. 

“No, it’s not because you quit coordinator school.” Sonia replied, missing the point by a solid mile. “You’re too young.”

He gaped at her, aghast. “I’m _ 12\. _” 

She had an odd way of expressing polite disbelief, which usually involved steepling her fingers and supporting her chin with them. “Yes, but you’re not 13.” She informed him, like he didn’t know. 

Hop felt his shoulders tense up from her tone. “I can still help!” He insisted, on the cusp of moping. “I’m quick! If we get in trouble, I can run real fast and find help!”

“There’s no help out there.” She explained, far too slowly. “It’s called a ‘tangle’ for a reason. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt because of me.”

“And _ I _wouldn’t be able to do the same if you went ahead and died in some dumb mushroom wood for a research paper!” 

He was shouting. Hop didn’t like shouting.

Sonia looked taken aback, prompting him to shut up even more than his own brain ever could. “... Sorry.” He mumbled. 

“No, it’s fine…” She trailed off absentmindedly. “Look, kiddo, I’m not saying no because I don’t think you’re capable. You’re just not _ used _ to stuff like this. Also, Leon would kill me if anything happened to you on my watch.” 

He considered this argument briefly. “No, that’s not right. He wouldn’t.” Hop shook his head. “He’d be upset, but he’d forgive you. He’s _ nice _.”

Watching her blanch wasn’t very satisfying. What made it worse was that he had no clue why she had done so; hadn’t he said something that made sense? Logically, Leon wouldn’t hold something like that over her head. The same couldn’t be said for people like Gloria though. 

“I think we’ll have to agree to disagree.” That was one of her go to phrases when a person’s retort confused her. “Still, I don’t have permission to take you with me and you don’t have a Pokémon. Those are both issues.” 

She neglected to acknowledge the fact that all problems had solutions, even if they were hard to figure out. For example, there was the ethogram issue. Hop refused to ask her directly because the topic embarrassed him, but he had plans to ask a Rotom phone the first chance he got. Having a plan of action was the best way to go, no matter what life threw at you!

“That’s easy! My mom will let you take me because she likes you a lot.” This was a fact. She often wished Sonia was her daughter in such a loud voice that he found it hard to ignore her; that’s how much she enjoyed the girl’s company. “And… do I _ really _need a Pokémon?”

Sonia twirled a lock of hair around a finger. “‘Fraid so, little bud. Besides, don’t you only know how to use them for contests?”

“Some contests have battles.” Hop replied frigidly, trying his best to keep his voice level and low. “And I train with Gloria all the time! I can handle anything you throw at me!”

She stared at him. Undeterred by the intensity of her gaze, he stared back. Why wasn’t it clicking for her that he didn’t want anyone to get hurt? A dumb camera wasn’t worth it. If he could help, if he could make _ sure _…

With a loud sigh, she slumped forward onto the table. “If I loan you a Pokémon, just for this trip, will you be satisfied?” 

“_Will I?!? _ ” Hop exclaimed. Imagine that! He could work with a Pokémon for _ real _ again. It just wasn’t the same telling the Yoshidas’ sheep to headbutt each other; they did that _ anyway_. “Of course! I really do just want to make sure everything goes well! This is so exciting!!!"

Sonia snorted, though not derisively. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t bounce yourself off to the moon just yet, kiddo. We still need to ask your mom, and you’ll need to pack some things. It’ll take around 5 or so days.” 

“5?” Hop thought on this. He was sure his tutors wouldn’t mind an extended vacation. “Okay! Let’s go!”

“What did I just say?!?” She giggled while she reprimanded him though, so it didn’t sting so bad. “Let me wash the dishes first!” 

“I’ll help!” He blurted out automatically. The quicker it went, the quicker they’d be off! “I’m super good at dishes, sis!”

“I don’t doubt it!” Sonia reached across to ruffle his hair playfully. “Let’s do it.”

As they settled into the monotony of cleaning all of their dirty cutlery, Hop couldn’t help but wonder if his temporary new Pokémon could help him with those damn ethograms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dunno if I mentioned this, but all of the chapters are named after 'The Moss' by Cosmo Sheldrake, which I mostly listened to while writing this. Also listened to the Wild Battle Theme for this gen, which was fun! Woo!
> 
> Beyond that, I have very few notes.
> 
> \- Hop in my works is always written as a coordinator or former coordinator, depending on when the fic takes place.
> 
> \- Hop inexplicably has TWO whole Pokémon during your first battle with him; there's screenshots on Serebii and I made a post about it in the rival hop tag. This fic will make predictions about it, but take what I say on the subject with a grain of salt.
> 
> \- Gloria and Victor own a bunch of Wooloo. It's very cute. I mention them a lot in other works!!
> 
> That's about it I can think of to comment on. Welp! Get hype for Friday! Bye!!!


	3. Ate Tear Soup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting parental permission is extremely important. But why does she feel like she stumbled into something she really shouldn't have?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be the final chapter, but I don't felt like shoving in all the scenes I have planned after watching the stream into one chapter. Therefore, y'all get this instead! I'm going to keep working at it! Yay! Things will be explained in the end notes as always, but please enjoy this!
> 
> Quick warning for not so quality parenting ;c; stay safe

Talking to Leon’s mum was always more awkward than she remembered. She’d always end up thinking ‘Hm! It’s probably not as bad as I thought it was!’, right before being hit with the fact that it was all of that, and then some.

Hop looked small next to her. Despite hovering next to her chair, he was clearly angling himself away from his mum, creating distance. Sonia wondered if she noticed that behavior, and if she cared. For a woman who apparently loved her like a daughter, they never interacted alone.

“And this is for your research?” Her yellow eyes were as probing as her sons.

She nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

“Please, that’s so formal! We’re all family here. Call me Blodeuwedd.” 

Sonia instantly pulled a straight face.  _ Who  _ can _ ?!?  _ “Oh, but that wouldn’t be polite, ma’am.”

“Nonsense!” Blodeuwedd smiled cordially, the perfect host. “I’ve known you since you were a baby! I insist.”

Her answering smile reeked of unease. “That’s understandable. Alright!” She agreed, hoping she would be able to avoid it. 

“Still, it’s for so long…” Her happy expression did not change. “My Noctowl can take care of me, of course, but my Hop is much better at it.”

As a child, Sonia often avoided their house, ever since she saw the stuffed Noctowl move its head to look at her. It was startling to realize that the Pokémon had been real the entire time. “I’m sure things will be fine! It’s only a few days! You can even watch our livestream if you’d like; it’s open to the public! You won’t be left waiting long, I promise.”

Blodeuwedd snorted ungracefully. “My son said the same thing to me, and look where he is now! Top of the world, and he has no time for me. I don’t want the same thing to happen with my Hop.”

“It  _ won’t _ .” She could insist too. “He’ll be so bored by the research that he’ll probably stop coming to see me, and I wouldn’t blame him! You can trust me with him.” She left off the ma’am as a very minor show of respect for her preferences; it still felt too awkward to call an older woman by her first name.

“I already trust  _ you _ . It’s that kid I worry for.” The matriarch sighed wistfully. “You’d make a lovely daughter, you know. I’ve always thought that. Please do right by my Hop.”

With a fair amount of queasiness, she shook Blodeuwedd’s hand. “I will.” She vowed, remembering her promise.

Without either of them noticing, Hop had fled up the stairs. The Noctowl was nowhere to be seen, but she could guess where it had gone. “One moment please!” Sonia told her quickly before beginning her pursuit.

His room looked like a bomb had gone off inside. Clothes were scattered all over the place, forming piles that almost seemed to be placed in a circle around the bed. Amongst all that chaos, her temporary ward was trembling, busying his hands with helping his mom’s owl preen. 

Sonia had never been truly glared at by an owl, but there was a first time for everything. “Scree!” called the Noctowl, anger clear in its tone. It was even turning its head upside down, a feat that looked both alarming and impressive. 

  
  
“No, no, Aderyn!” Hop said quickly, holding it back. “Sonia’s alright!”

“Protective little bastard, huh?” She eyed it nervously, a bit on edge. “You’d think it’s your Pokémon and not your mum’s.”

“Ah, well!” He laughed sheepishly. “She used to help me practice. Um, when I was younger, I mean. She’s too strong for any of that now though.”

Aderyn looked very smug when he said this. Sonia suppressed a laugh; she was certain that the Noctowl would react poorly to any perceived trampling of her ego. “Is that so?”

  
  
The young boy continued to groom her. “Yup! Contests are a little different. Aderyn’s a right showoff, so long as she wasn’t on the stage, so I got to practice with her as much as I want. But, for battling, it’s no good. I’m a baby to her, and that sort of thing needs a whole lot of respect!”

“Yes, that’s very true! I’m sure you guys could work together someday though!” If there was something she believed in, it was humanity’s ability to bond with the creatures around them. She could tell that he had the strength to work with the Noctowl one day. That is, if he really wanted to when the time came.

As if to signal agreement, Aderyn lightly hooted before flapping off out of the room.

  
  
“Okay!” Hop loudly exclaimed, cracking his knuckles. “Sorry for the mess, but I had no clue how to dress! Can you help me pack?”

  
  
Sonia peered at his eager expression. “Sure, but are you alright? You looked a bit bothered for a second there…”

“I’m  _ fine _ .” He said in a voice that brokered no argument. “Or I will be. Same difference!”

For a moment, she cast about for something to say, something that’d be profound and comforting.  _ It’s okay if you’re not. I might not understand, but I want to help. Really. Your mum’s a total Vespiqueen!  _ But she didn’t say a word of that.

Instead, Sonia tried her best to smile brightly, the way she always did. “Of course! What else would you be? Now, let’s sort out what you have!”

Surprisingly, he had several good snacks and water bottles stashed away inside his room. The variety of clothes also helped; she found it relatively easy to pick out comfortable outfits with him that fulfilled their function. They still butt heads a few times (‘I swear you will thank me once you realize how much walking we’re doing! You do  _ not  _ want to wear your binder under the conditions we’ll be in.’ ‘Ugh! Okay, sis. You’re the boss, I guess...’), but it went more smoothly than she could have hoped. 

“There!” He hoisted the bag onto his shoulders with a beam. “All done! Let’s go already!”

  
  
“Hold on there, kiddo!” She couldn’t help but laugh at his propensity for rushing; it reminded her of someone she’d heard of a while back. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  
  
“Um… No?”

Sonia crossed her arms. “Really? Nothing’s coming to mind?”   
  


“Hm…” Hop bit his lip. “Uhhh… Wait! I have to say bye to Victor and Gloria!”

“No, that’s not it. You won’t have time for that. I need time to buy you an extra ticket, and the attendant is super stingy. I’ll have to trade him something, knowing my luck.”  _ Dumb cunt. _

“Then what is it?” He looked frustrated. “I can’t think of anything I could have missed!”

_ _

Quietly, she handed him what she had been holding behind her back. “There we go. I promised you a Pokémon, right? She’s on loan though, so be  _ very  _ careful with her. You can take her out on the train.” Sonia whispered, hoping that his mum wouldn’t hear.

_ _

He slipped the ball into his bag, eyes sparkling with delight. “Cool!” It was the softest he had ever been. “What is she?”

  
  
“It’s a secret.” She put a finger to her lips. “So  _ shhh _ . Don’t tell a soul.”

_ _

“I won’t!” Hop mimed zipping his own mouth closed. “Oh, and before we leave, can I ask you something? I almost forgot.”

_ _

“What is it?” He always had strange questions. Would it be something about the mystery in the ball? She could deflect for hours if that was the case, especially since he looked so guilty about whatever he was about to ask.

  
“Will we be making any ethograms?”

  
  
It took her forever to stop laughing after that.

* * *

_ Noctowl never fails at catching prey in darkness. This Pokémon owes its success to its superior vision that allows it to see in minimal light, and to its soft, supple wings that make no sound in flight.  _

\- an excerpt from a research paper on Noctowl behavior in the wild

_ When Noctowl turns its head entirely upside down, you know it's troubled by something. If you don't leave it be, it will peck you. _

\- an experimental Pokédex entry for an early model of the Rotomdex™ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here we go.
> 
> \- I chose Welsh names for Hop's mom and her Noctowl because I thought they were pretty. I was looking for flower names specifically though. Blodeuwedd means 'face of flowers' and said person is changed into an owl for cheating during her myth. Hop's mom did not do that, but that's where the inspiration came from for her Pokémon. No clue how you'd pronounce it though!
> 
> \- Aderyn means bird in Welsh apparently. That's the joke of the chapter, thank you for laughing.
> 
> \- PSA: binder safety is super important!!! Be careful while wearing one and make sure to take breaks! Strenuous activity should be avoided! Be safe and love your lungs! This has been a PSA by Sonia. 
> 
> \- me, writing anything for Galar: I will casually sprinkle in the fact that Hop used to be a coordinator-
> 
> \- The Noctowl info at the end are old Pokedex entries from Ruby and Ultra Moon respectively!!! Check out its Bulbapedia page!
> 
> With all that being said, next time, we will see what Hop's mysterious future 2nd Pokémon is in my head, and we'll finally be on the road! Get ready for it! Thanks for reading!


	4. Nobody Knew and Nobody Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If there is one thing a train ride is good for (in Hop’s humble opinion), it’s making a few new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking of maybe posting 4 and 5 together, but I’m too exhausted to continue writing for today. I’m very ill, so I’m not even sure why I’m pushing myself this hard haha (ง ื▿ ื)ว anyway ignoring my poor life choices and possible curse here’s the chapter where Hop contemplates, converses, and- well, you’ll see!

“I’m still bummed I can’t tell Victor and Gloria where we’re going.” Hop complained. “They’d think it’s so cool!”

“You can when we come back if you don’t tell them about the Pokémon I’m lending you, remember?” Sonia shushed him again, though louder this time. “Besides, if they get curious and wonder where you are, your mum or my gran will tell them.”

“That’s even worse! Gloria will _ kill _me!” Gloria, being the only one of the trio in trainer school, was always very excited about exploring places that would get most people killed. While she wouldn’t actually murder him, she’d probably pinch his cheeks super hard, and that was just as bad in his mind.

“That sounds like a personal problem, little lad.” Sonia ruffled his hair, the perfect picture of the unsympathetic big sis. “You made your bed. Now lie in it.”

He shuddered, moving away from her hairstyle ruining hands.“Stop saying ominous things!!!” 

“Sure! When I’m six feet in the grave!”

“Nooooooooo!!!!”

* * *

  


_ The train system of Galar is one of the few things they can currently claim as a defining feature of the region, though Kalos is in the midst of making plans to catch up. Many a Pokémon can be found living, working on, or even traveling by train, making it a unique place to see countless species interact and thrive. For Alola, our ferry system might be the best, but a quick train ride can yield countless benefits too. You might even find a new friend, though what kind of friend is up to you! _

\- an excerpt from _ An Alolan Guidebook to Galar _

* * *

  


Hop trailed after Sonia as she went up to the counter. Her demeanor had become more and more sour as they got close to the train station, probably because she didn’t like the teller. Having never been inside the train station at an age where he could remember it clearly, he looked around, eyes wide. Honestly, it was a bit unimpressive. He wasn’t sure why he was expecting the room to be bigger.

“Hello, Gregory.” Sonia suddenly spoke, derailing his train of thought. Her smile was wide, but completely fake, like she was going to scream if she stopped doing it.

The portly man perked up. “Oh, hello! Your train will be here soon, I’m sure. About 20 minutes by the look of things after the delay last night. Ready for your trip?” 

“All set!” She gave him a thumbs up. “But I need another ticket.”

“Why? For the kid?” Gregory said pleasantly. “It’ll cost you extra. The normal fee, naturally, but it’s also last minute.” 

Immediately, she glowered. Hop took a step away. “I buy last minute tickets all the time and you never charge extra, so don’t bust my balls over this! Things came up and I have to take him with me.” 

“Did they now? Do tell how that’s the case, and I’ll consider it.”

“Hop.” Her voice was quiet. Seething. “Please go sit down while I negotiate a price.”

Sonia did not have to tell him twice. He scurried over to an empty seat, shrugging off his bulging bag as he went. Hop sat with it, though resting it on his legs while being in close proximity to a tired businessman/neighbor was more than a little awkward. For a bag that held something so crucial, it looked very ugly in the flourescent light of the station. It didn’t help that the Pokéball within was burning a (thankfully metaphorical) hole through it. 

Gloria would have opened it by now. Victor would have never pushed Sonia so hard in the first place. 

Instead of doing anything, Hop stared at his bag and wondered what it could be. 

He knew gym leader teams by heart. He had played with every member of Leon’s team before (at least once, anyway). But that didn’t make him a Galarian Pokémon expert by any means. Not like Victor, who seemed to memorize them based on egg groups alone. Not like Gloria, who listened to that Alolan professor’s podcast compulsively. There wasn’t any real guidebook for using Pokémon in contests after all. You got what you got until you were fully licensed.

He’d never even worked with a Pokémon that people would fully call ‘Galarian’ before, unless you counted faux training with Victor’s Wooloo. He wondered if the Pokémon Sonia let him borrow would like performing. Then he told himself to shut up. It was best to focus on other things. 

There was a poster advertising this year’s Champion Cup on the wall. It was the final one before he could try qualifying for it. “You know,” the man next to him said, breaking the silence, “there’s a rumor that the Dark type gym might be major league material this year.” 

“You think so?” Hop doubted it. Part of the choice was influenced by the public, but even their vocal support hadn’t stopped them from losing a slot to the Bug type specialist last time. 

“You sound like you don’t believe me.” 

“Not to be rude, but I don’t! It feels like it’s been 23 years since a Dark type specialist was involved in helping with a Galarian Gym Challenge!” 23 _ years _ of being minor league fodder. He couldn’t even picture it!

“There’s a first time for everything.” The man said idly, though there was a drowsy quality to his voice. He looked familiar in a way that Hop couldn’t place. “I didn’t expect Opal to cling to her spot this year, but she got picked this morning.”

_ The actress? _Hop mulled over his words. Maybe there was some truth to his words after all. He guessed the media buzz was more important to the people running the show than any potential lawsuits. It was probably best to keep the younger kids out of Glimwood Tangle anyway; having her be major league seemed far more beneficial. 

“I guess we’ll see!” He decided at last.

The man smiled. Hop felt a sudden surge of deja vu. “I guess so.”

_ Stomp _.

“Hop?” Sonia looked frustrated and suspicious, though she was clearly trying to hide it. “Who’s this?”

“I’m Oliver. We’re having a nice little chat about the Champion Cup before I catch the train to work. I work for the office building of Macro Cosmos Construction if it helps.” He extended a hand. 

Visibly relaxing, she shook it. Secretly, Hop was relieved; Oliver didn’t seem so bad, and he didn’t want to make a scene. “Are you interested in that event then?”

“A normal amount, I hope! I like following the debates over the leagues. It’s a nice break from the tedium of my work.” 

“Sounds about right! I like watching the videos while I wait for my instruments to calibrate!” Sonia said with a laugh. “Pretty sure my friends would kill me if I didn’t.”

A flicker of recognition showed itself in Oliver’s eyes, but it vanished quickly. Hop wasn’t fully sure if it was his imagination or not. “Ah, the perils of expectation. I miss that aspect of youth.”

Before she could reply (or Hop could insert himself back into the conversation), the man’s phone rang. His face darkened. “Excuse me. I have to take this.”

They winced in unison at the way he began barking words at the other person on the line. “W-Well! I got an extra ticket! Somehow…” Sonia whipped her head around to glare at Gregory before turning back to face him with a shaky smile. “We’re all set!”

“Great! When’s the train coming?”

The PA system crackled to life. “The B train is now arriving for the Red Line. Mind the gap.” 

“That’s us!” She handed him his ticket. “Let’s go! We have to let the machine scan it to get past.”

“I know how trains work…” He griped, pulling his bag back onto his shoulders. “Give me some credit!”

Oliver followed behind them, still squabbling as they all went through the process of getting on the train itself. “And if you think your adorable Pokémon will spare you, you’ve got another thing coming! Why, I oughta-”

Sonia promptly tugged Hop across the train car.

“Don’t worry about that man.” She whispered to him, eyeing the way he was pacing back and forth. “Those office jobs can get _ really _stressful.” 

_ But is that really it? _He shook his head before he could feel compelled to voice his thoughts; his life was clearly becoming very dull if he was inventing complex dramas out of mundane arguments. “Yeah…” He agreed helplessly, knowing very well that she’d expect a response.

Pity was clear in her body language. “Hey,” she nudged him gently, “why don’t you take out that Pokémon, hm? You can now!”

“Oh! I forgot!” Hop gasped. He had been so caught up in the euphoria of discussing the Champion Cup that he forgot for a moment what they were here to do. An equal amount of anticipation and trepidation clashed within him. _ What if they don’t like me? What if they’re mean? What if, what if, what if? _

His fingers hit the smooth surface of the Pokéball. “O-Okay!” A shaking hand pulled it out. “Here goes!”

Throwing a Pokéball was a delicate process. Messing up could lead to head injuries, foot injuries, and a host of other injuries he didn’t like to dwell on. Keeping that in mind, he lightly tossed it to the ground, trying his best to minimize the bounce.

It cracked open with a soft glow. Hop closed his eyes.

He opened them to the sight of something very small.

* * *

  


_ The distinction between a first Pokémon and a starter Pokémon is trivial to some, but to others, it means the world. Many children have Pokémon that they care for before their Island Challenge, but not all of those Pokémon become their starter. A starter is for your journey. A Pokémon is for your life. _

\- an excerpt from _ An Alolan Guidebook to Galar _

* * *

“A Rolycoly?!?” Hop almost screamed from pleased surprise. “I can’t believe it! I’ve never seen one in person before!”

“Not even when you-”

“Not then either.” He cut her off automatically. Oliver had wandered over to sit near them, and he didn’t want to risk him overhearing her. The less said about _ that, _ the better.

Her eyes crinkled with amusement. “Well, what do you know about them?” 

He hunched his back, putting his face closer to the Pokémon. “It’s a Rock type! They used to use ‘em to help warm up homes, right? My history tutor told me that. But, more importantly, there was a really famous one used in a Master Rank Toughness Contest in Sinnoh!!! Dwayne the Rolycoly!!!! … She doesn’t look like a Dwayne though.”

“Oh, good, you remembered what I told you.” Sonia sounded relieved. “Well, there’s really no need to nickname her if that’s what worries you.”

The lump of coal gazed up at him, squinting. Hop stared back. There was something captivating about the orange glow, something that felt a bit like the taste of charred meat on his tongue.

“Would you like a name?” He addressed her softly, reaching out a hand. 

Without any hesitation, the Rolycoly whirred her way towards him. He wasn’t well versed on her species’ behavior, but she looked very happy to be asked. 

“Awesome!” He cheered. “How does Treble sound?”

Treble seemed to like that very much if the spinning was any indication. Oliver politely clapped for the duo. “Best of luck.” He told them before slumping back in his seat and closing his eyes. Hop figured he needed a nap, so he let him be.

He turned back to Sonia, excited words on his tongue, before her guilty expression struck him mute. A half-second passed. It vanished into nothingness as she began smiling again; once more, he was unsure if it had been real at all. “She’ll hopefully be useful where we’re going! I’m expecting to see some Flying types. You?”

“Bugs! Lots and lots of Bug types!” 

As they chatted, each person there thought different things.

Hop wondered if he was seeing things. Did he need glasses or something? And what would that ‘something’ be?

Sonia pondered how attached ‘Treble’ was to Hop already. Would it be right to separate them after all? And would the two of them forgive her if she did?

Oliver kept mulling over the phone call. Gym Leaders got more and more demanding the older he got. If only he could take Kabu down a peg or two… 

And Treble thought the train was a lot of fun. She liked trains very much. This was where she was meant to be.

The train continued on into the early morning.

* * *

  


_ While the use of Rolycoly in heating homes is an antiquated practice, many Galarian cooks still utilize them in the kitchen. We’re proud to be the best Rolycoly dining experience in the entire region! If you’re not satisfied with your first meal with us, the price will be half off! We’ll let our diners’ tastebuds speak for themselves! _

\- a PokeJobs ad from a 5 star restaurant under review

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I named this ‘there are still more pines’ in Google Docs because the first chapter was named ‘In the Pines’ and I kept making jokes off of that for each one. That’s your factoid for the day! And now on to the traditional little snippets. 
> 
> \- Gregory and Oliver aren’t actual characters, per se, but they look exactly like the two men in the train station for that gameplay preview Ohmori did a while back. Oliver has red hair and places to be.
> 
> \- I really can’t believe Pokémon’s been around for 23 years... Hell, I’m not even that old! It’s incredible! Anyway, that’s the joke there.
> 
> Somehow most of my notes got deleted... anyway Hop canonically has two Pokémon during our first battle and this is my vague guess as to what it could be. It’ll probably be the early bird or bug though lmao just my luck. Treble is here to stay in my fics though!
> 
> Also, Macro Cosmos Construction is indeed a real PokeJobs company. The more you know.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Well, Have You Heard The Story?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon’s never introduced him to most of the League’s Gym Leaders. Hop’s starting to wish he still didn’t know them personally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this will be the last time I push the stream chapter back haha Opal just talks too much 
> 
> Me: please let me finish the story with reasonable pacing
> 
> Opal, a supposedly minor presence in the story: ψ( ` ∇ ´ )ψ hell no 
> 
> Anyway my bad! I hope this chapter is good regardless I am a clown

The first day was mostly uneventful.

They parted ways with Oliver rather quickly, though Hop was gifted with his business card before the man departed. He spent the rest of his time getting to know Treble, pestering Sonia about Pokémon facts, sleeping, and eating peanuts.

The second day was the best in his humble opinion. For starters, he was able to walk Treble around the town they stopped at. It was loads of fun! He even got to show her some old routines, though his movements were a bit stiff from sleeping on the train. She even spun around enough to disturb the grass! Their night was spent at a cozy inn, one with staff that prided themselves on discretion. “Don’t wander at night.” Sonia warned him. “You’ll never know what you find.”

He didn't find anything anyway. They left early the next morning. 

By the time the third day was halfway done, Hop was tired of trains.

“Are we there yet?” He groaned. Watching Wooloo herds frolick outside the window had been fun at first, but it quickly got old. Plus, it reminded him of the Yoshidas, which only added to his melancholy. Why couldn’t there be herds of Duraludon out there?  _ Wait, aren’t they solitary?  _

“In a bit, kiddo.” Sonia glanced at her watch. “It’ll be 3 minutes. Opal’s meeting us at the train station though, so be ready to run.”

“Huh? She is?!?” Hop blanched. “We’re going to be swarmed by paparazzi?”

“Aye, most likely. I wasn’t happy about it, but she insisted on coming here rather than meeting us at the outskirts. Like I said, be ready to run.”

Treble made a disgruntled noise. Hop figured it was because she couldn’t run at all.

“And roll.” Sonia corrected herself. The Rolycoly perked up right away.  _ What a cutie! _ Hop was pleased as punch to be traveling with the little Pokémon. People said that Rock types weren’t very expressive, but he was beginning to have the strong suspicion that people didn’t know what they were talking about. It was easy to tell whatever Treble was feeling; all you had to do was pay attention.

Unlike him, she enjoyed the train a lot. Even when it jerked and sent her rolling, she’d squeal with excitement, returning back to her original position with gusto. She was busying herself with spinning at the moment, leaving coal marks wherever she went. He winced at the sight of them. Hopefully, the conductor wouldn’t get too mad. 

“Treble, do you want to go back to your Pokéball?” He waved the device at her, wondering if she’d take to it this time. It was always a struggle to convince her to return. She liked being out as much as possible, something he feared would become an issue eventually.

Her eye glared at him. “So that’s a no then.” He sighed. “Well, you’re plenty fast! This should be fine!”

“Good, ‘cause it’s time to split!” Sonia rose as the rattling train car came to a stop. “Let’s go, Hop.”

“Alright, sis. Come on, Treble!” They rushed after the adult, keeping as close to her as they could without tripping. For a Rolycoly, his new buddy was pretty fast. Hop smiled down at the little lump.  _ She’s pretty exceptional! _

Sonia’s hand shot out suddenly, grabbing his wrist. “Hey, wait a minute. Stop.” 

He skidded a bit before regaining his balance, Treble doing the same. “What happened?” 

“ _ That  _ happened.” 

There was a horde of paparazzi and happily weeping fans. He could see bright blue locks bobbing and weaving through the gaps in the crowd, but there was no other sign of Opal. Sonia was grimacing. He couldn’t see his own face, but if Treble’s displeasure was any indication, he was making the same expression. 

“I’ll call her…” She sounded defeated. Hop patted her shoulder with sympathy. Over the past few days, he had gathered that Opal was one of the most difficult people Sonia knew.  _ Be careful of what you say to her.  _ Hop reminded himself.  _ She’s the type to hold grudges. _

Sonia never got the chance to take out her phone. 

The infamous Fairy type specialist pushed her way through the crowd with a wide smile. “Sonia! There you are! I’ve been waiting here for  _ ages _ , darling! How have you been?” 

He had never seen her look that pale before. “Sonia, what do we-”

“Run!” She cried out, releasing his wrist as she broke into a truly hectic sprint. Hop followed suit, pushing himself to go faster than he had ever gone before. He was a runner, after all, one that followed his craft well. A runner and a gymnast and a performer. And soon, if all went well, a trainer too. 

But first he had to run.

They rushed past Opal, who looked shocked for a fraction of a second before rolling her shoulders with a shrug. “What fun!” He heard as he ran past, the world turning into a soft blur. “You sure know how to party!” 

All four of them took the stairs two at a time. He desperately wanted to ask how she could manage the feat in heels, even though his chest was burning too much to get words out. The flashes worried him more than that anyway. Countless cameras attached to ravenous people, all looking for a shot. He’d be recognized, wouldn’t he? Gloria would  _ definitely _ have his hide now.

“Over here!” Opal sped in front of them, gesturing for them to follow. They stumbled over to where a getaway Corviknight was waiting, all imposing edges and glaring eyes. “Get on!”

In a quick motion, Hop returned Treble to her Pokéball. “Sorry, but you’ll have to bear it for a little while. Flight’s dangerous for you!” He whispered to it, knowing she could hear him. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise!”

Sonia laughed as she helped him get on the bird. “You’re already reassuring her in there?” It was a normal brand of teasing, but he felt odd about it. The closest analogy he could think of was showing up to coordinator school and forgetting about a big test. Just like how it’d appear to be a normal day on the surface, something major was off about how she was acting. He swallowed and tried not to dwell on it.

“Yup!” Hop balanced the Pokéball in his lap. “I want her to feel nice and happy with me, even though it’s temporary!” 

“That’s great.” She told him. Unlike the probing question beforehand, she sounded perfectly genuine. 

At the sight of her smile, Hop relaxed enough to not scream when the Corviknight took off. Much.

(Within her Pokéball, Treble was doing the Rolycoly equivalent of snickering.)

* * *

  
  


_ The Actress With A Thousand Faces, Gym Leader Opal is major league material for the second year in a row! Specializing in the Fairy type, she has spent years honing her battle strategies and prowess with performance. Among her achievements have been numerous awards for her roles in movies, boosting the population that calls Glimwood Tangle home, and bringing awareness to the delicate ecology within the strange forest.  _

_ Opal is a charismatic individual, one that can always be seen laughing. She has a true affection for the entertainment industry, and has often said that she has no intention of retiring from the field. Fairy types, however, are her main passion; her discontent with the monopoly on Dragon types in the competitive world of Pokémon battling motivated her as a teenager to build truly formidable teams that can handle almost any obstacle.  _

_ Despite various scandals involving her gym’s structure, all have been peacefully resolved, mainly due to the fact that they rely on unsubstantiated rumors that Opal possesses psionic abilities without a permit. People tend to mistake her natural perceptiveness for actual psychic power, a view that even our lovely main Psychic type specialist has refuted. When asked, she’s expressed confusion over why so many accusations have been raised against her. “I mean, I like the fae. That’s my entire thing! Wouldn’t I have an Alakazam if I really had psychic powers?” _

_ No one has a reliable answer, but Opal’s Studio, as fans of her call it, has remained popular enough to stay in the major league. Only one question remains: will her reign continue? Dragon lovers hope not, but even they watch the gym leader’s battles in order to poke holes in her strategies. The numbers don’t lie; Gym Leader Opal is perhaps the most popular one on the path to the Champion Cup!  _

\- Gym Leader Opal’s blurb on the Galar Pokémon League’s official website 

* * *

Up in the sky, the world was fuzzier. More far away, even. Oddly enough, he felt perfectly calm. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. He was in a bubble of pure serenity, and it was  _ nice.  _ Why would he ever want to stop feeling this way?

“Opal.” Sonia’s obnoxious, dumb voice blared right in his sensitive ears. “Stop projecting your emotions onto Hop. That’s illegal.”

_ Projecting?  _ As if he’d stoop low enough to influence a mere- huh. Everything snapped back into focus. Hop gulped very, very carefully. They were very high up.

“You okay there, kiddo?” He had no idea how anyone could ever insult her voice. Listening to it was like carrying a slice of home with him, and the fact that he had called it ‘obnoxious’ caused guilt to bubble up in his chest.

“Yeah...” He said shamefully. “I’m sorry for calling your voice dumb.”

She glared daggers at the back of their pilot. “No worries, Hop. Wasn’t you.”

“Your voice  _ is _ dumb. Don’t blame me for sharing the truth!” Hop couldn’t see her face, but he could tell, without a shadow of a doubt, that Opal was smiling. Somehow, the blue wig was staying on her head, though it wasn’t a sure thing. “Why, I-”

“You could be arrested and tried for that.” Sonia pointed out coldly. 

The actress turned her head around to look at them. Blue wisps whipped about near her face, giving her a more ethereal quality than she was probably due. She was the perfect picture of tranquility. He had tasted that calmness, if only for a moment, and he knew then that it was very real. “Let’s not kid ourselves here, darling. That’s never going to happen.”

“So you really  _ are  _ psychic!” Hop blurted out. “Why would you hide that? It’s so cool!”

“‘Cool?’” Opal snorted, immediately establishing herself as someone with a normal laugh. “That’s a funny way to put it! It is, in fact, so very hilarious that I’ll  _ absolutely  _ reveal myself as psychic! What reason could I ever have to hide the truth? I sure love being distrusted by the people around me and having my acting prowess doubted! It only adds to the spice of life, dontcha know?” 

He scowled, hoping that she could feel it. “Well,  _ sorry.  _ I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You don’t  _ mean  _ to do anything. Here you are, angry at  _ me  _ for being bitter, all the while ignoring the way you tread on every foot you stumble across! You’re a total comedian!” 

“Stop it!” Sonia snapped. “If you’re just going to mock us, we can travel without you!”

“I won’t let you in if you do that.” She sounded very pleasant and reasonable. “It’s not safe.”

Silence.

Hop watched Sonia’s hands shake. There was a bigger picture here, and he was starting to see parts of it. Her passion for her work outweighed her strong dislike for the people they had been interacting with since the first day. He couldn’t possibly put himself in her shoes; he’d never have that much patience. 

“We’ll stay.” He spoke for her, thinking it necessary. It felt worth it when Sonia directed a small, almost wounded smile his way. 

“Good!” Opal looked right at him again. Her eyes were a strange pink color. He hadn’t noticed that before. Was  _ anything _ about her natural? It was a question that would continue to befuddle people for generations to come, and he had no clue that she preferred it that way. “I have a question for you, Sir Oaf.”

As far as nicknames went, he didn’t like that one at all. Unwilling to give her the satisfaction of seeing that visibly, he decided to do what he did best and channel his inner coordinator.  _ Bright eyes, brighter smile! You’re dead in the water if you’re not shimmery, shiny, sparkly!  _ Hop recited to himself. The longer he went without the mindset, the harder it was to take up the old persona again. 

“Yes?” He asked, bright, bright, bright.

In the early morning light, she looked almost dead. “What do you think about horror movies?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got away from me, so I cut it off before it became a real monster. You’re welcome ୧꒰◌´꒳`◌꒱૭ 
> 
> \- It’s extremely funny to me that Hop isn’t fond of trains in this considering trainshipping, but to be fair, this is a form of setup for myself, soooo! Wink wonk.
> 
> I have a lot to say about Opal, so let’s break it up into parts.
> 
> \- Each Gym Leader seems to have those odd titles like ‘The [blank compliment]’, so I gave her one. I don’t remember if they do that anymore???? But yeah. 
> 
> \- While the wording in her blurb is intentionally off, it is meant to imply that you need a permit to USE psychic abilities on other people. Beyond that, I won’t explicitly comment on what the blurb establishes beyond mentioning that I think whoever the Psychic Gym Leader is should be a fraud to break this trend of ‘actually psychic Psychic Gym Leaders’. 
> 
> \- As for what I can say of how I think her personality might be, she’s known for being charismatic, but when faced with a situation where she has nothing to worry about, she’s rather rude to other people. She presents herself as a nice person and said rudeness as a Gym Leader persona, but it’s very hard to tell how she actually is beyond very, very calm. 
> 
> Uhhh beyond that I don’t know what else I can get away with saying right now! Woo! Thanks for reading!!!


	6. We Can All Learn Things, Both Many And A Few

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh. So that’s what an ethnogram is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank GOD I’m finally done with this I need to get back to writing a birthday fic for myself snsjsjmd 
> 
> By now, my memory of the stream’s order of events is p vague, but I did reference videos for the parts I missed. I watched most of it though, I promise! 
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the constant reworking of the story in terms of chapter length, but I’m sure if I crammed 3, 4, 5, and 6 into one chapter, it would have been a mess. So thanks for bearing with me, readers! Here we go!

**FROM: ** _ chairmanrose@galarleague.net _

**TO: ** _ itsopalbinch@galarleague.net _

**SUBJECT: Gym Theme (Urgent)**

_ Good morning. We’ve been rather lenient so far, but this is a final warning. Competitors have been complaining that the comedy movies are not, in fact, funny. After careful review, the board has reached a consensus. Your productions are very skillfully done, but they are also extremely terrifying for your audience. Please stick to another genre for this year’s challenge season. We will be expecting your proposal in a week. _

_ Thank you, _

_ Chairman Rose _

* * *

Landing a Corviknight was an arduous process. Sonia knew all about it; she had contributed some of her research to _ that _particular paper.

For starters, there was the matter of will. Corviknight were difficult Pokémon to direct. They knew their status as apex predators and humans just didn’t stack up. Even those trained for transportation only followed specific routes; trying to get them to deviate from those proved to be impossible if your will wasn’t stronger than theirs. Most couldn’t even compete with the birds.

A lesser known factor was physiological. Any Pokémon who spent their lives on the wing (or could, if they liked) had a strong dislike of landing, and Corviknight was no exception. Only those trained properly did it regularly. Even then, most people thought that didn’t count; they often perched on objects off the ground, leaving their passengers to climb down on their own.

Opal, of course, never seemed to have any problems because life wasn’t fair. Sonia had watched her land her giant bird multiple times without incident, maintaining a jovial expression as she did. She supposed her will was just that strong; there wasn’t a reasonable explanation for it beyond that. 

“Thank you for the compliment!” Speak of the devil. Her giggles were sharp and grating, nails on the chalkboard more commonly known as Sonia’s mind. 

“Get out of my head, Opal.” She said tiredly, too emotionally drained by her very existence to push her out on her own.

The accursed woman laughed again as she executed another perfect landing. “Sure, sure!” Her voice was laced with mirth. 

Picturing psychic influence as Octillery tentacles helped Sonia visualize the effects better. She could feel the tendrils leaving her, bits and pieces unfurling from grey matter. _ It’s all psychosomatic. _ She reminded herself. _ She can’t really hurt you. _

That was a lie, but Sonia liked to pretend that everything was alright until it was. Panicking would only scare Hop anyway.

The actress casually adjusted her wig. “It was lovely to meet you, Hop! Always a pleasure, Sonia, but I must be off!”

  
  
“_What.” _ She barely kept herself from snarling. When her blood started to boil, it was almost impossible for anyone to take her seriously.

“Are you upset at me or something?” Opal covered her amused smile with one hand. _ Ineffectually. _“Because I feel like you are, and I will be very put out if that’s the case.”

“You promised to show us to a good clearing.” Ignoring the question in favor of fuming felt like a better idea. 

She snorted. “Oh, darling, you _ believed _ me? See, I would, but there’s far more important things to do with my time. You wouldn’t happen to have 107,953,384 Pokédollars on hand, would you?”

  
  
“I-”

  
“Didn’t think so!” Opal waved. “Just follow the path and you should be fine! Probably~! Toodles!”

On cue, the giant bird took off into the sky with a powerful flap of its wings. Sonia watched them until they became a dark smudge on the horizon. 

“Sonia…?” Hop asked tentatively, breaking the tense silence. “Are you, like, okay?”

Her face burned from white hot indignation. “Just. Peachy.” She growled. “Here’s some advice from me to you. Avoid that Seviper as much as possible.”

Hop stared directly at her. It was as if he was spellbound. For a moment, Sonia remembered the stories and wondered if the woods’ power extended to the outskirts after all. Then he laughed lightly, dispelling her rage in an instant. 

“Seviper? No, she’s a total Ariados! All blood splatters this and inescapable fear that! Who’d want a horror movie theme anyway?” 

It was a valid question, but not one with an easy answer. “She would,” Sonia considered it, “if she could get away with it. But I doubt the board would ever approve. It’s no secret that most of them don’t like her. The only reason she’s never been fired is ‘cause there’s no one with her speciality that’s strong enough to replace her. At least, that’s what people say. Don’t repeat that, got it?”

“I won’t!” Hop promised instantly. “You can count on me!”

“Good. Prove it.” She threw a face mask at him. “Time to start trekking!”

He stared at the accessory, his confusion plain as day. “Huh? Why?” 

“Spores.” 

Hop put on the face mask.

* * *

  
  


“Camera set up?”

  
  
“Yeah.”

  
  
“Is it on?”

“Nope!”

“Okay, good! It’s working.”

Hop watched as she retrieved her phone from the depths of her bag. _ Look carefully. _She seemed to say with her eyes. “Hey, buddy.” She tapped the screen. “Rise and shine.”

With a worrisome crackling noise, the phone flickered to life. “Is it time yet?” The Rotom _ yawned. _Curiosity gnawed at his insides. Why on earth did the poor Pokémon look sleepy?

“My friend here has a few quirks.” Sonia answered his unspoken question. Her words were slightly muffled by the cloth. “Keep that in mind if you get a phone for yourself someday.”

“Consumerzzz agree that Rotom make the best phonezzzz, bzzt…” Unlike most members of the species, it sounded positively apathetic. “Get one today at your local…” It trailed off with another low sigh, virtual head bobbing back and forth.

“Wake up, Sparky.” She waved the device around. “I know you have no bars, but this is important. Didn’t you want to help with the stream?”

Its eyes slid open once more. “So it _ is _time. You never tell me anything, Sonia!” The Rotom produced the worst noise yet - a horrid mix between a dial up tune and the noise a computer makes when it dies - before popping out of the phone altogether. He tried his best not to cringe.

When it came to certain Pokémon, they did not look right under specific circumstances. Rotom were meant for electronics, not the open world. ‘Sparky’ seemed to leave smears of light as they zipped around, imaginary glitches of the Matrix. His eyes were attempting to make sense of the visual input before them. It wasn’t working.

“Hey, Hop?” Sonia tapped his shoulder gently. “It’s in the camera now. You can open your eyes.”

_ Eh? _ He hadn’t noticed they were closed to begin with. “... Sorry.”

  
  
“It’s fine.” She said with a shrug. “I get a little nauseous watching it too.”

  
“Yeah…” Hop stared at where the camera was hidden. Its recording light blinked once. _ Like a wink… _

“That was a wink!”

  
  
“I can infer things too, Sonia!”

* * *

Walking down the path to where Opal lived took forever. By then, they were both practically drowning in sweat. Sonia thanked her lucky stars she went without makeup that day, or she would have been absolutely miserable. To make matters worse, her travel partner looked more like a drowned Raticate than ever before. 

  
“Are we there yet?” He complained loudly. How familiar.

“Almost!” She reassured him for what had to be the 5th time by now. “It won’t take us too long to complete our journey, so hold on tight for me, okay?”

Spores swirled in the space between them. “Okay.” Hop agreed, not sounding very happy about it. She sympathized, _ really, _but there was nothing she could do about his discomfort. Hell, she could barely alleviate her own! And the path just kept going and going and going…

The door to Opal’s house appeared out of nowhere like some meddlesome, inanimate Misdreavus. “Huh?” She jerked her hand away from the wood. “How did we- But the path???”

Even though his mouth was obscured, Hop looked sick nonetheless. “I dunno. Just closed my eyes for a moment and then I was here.” He was perched on Opal’s steps, cradling Treble to his chest. Both he and his Pokémon (and wasn’t that a funny thing to call a Rolycoly on loan?) showed clear signs of disorientation. Not that she was much better. “I _ told _you these woods were scary!”

Sonia groaned loudly. She didn’t want to think about how right he was right then. “I _ hate _Glimwood Tangle.”

“Follow the path, she said! You should be fine, she said!” A lance of irritation went through her as she rummaged around in her bag for the key. “No one ever mentions that the bloody path doesn’t follow normal rules!”

“Oh, you have a key?” He perked up, a little less dejection in his tone. “How come? I thought Opal didn’t like you!” 

“She doesn’t. How can I put this…?” Giving herself a little time to think on the matter was important; Hop was known to laugh if he felt an explanation was stupid and she couldn’t take a blow to her ego right now. “She likes having guests and bothering her coworkers, so she gave out copies of her door key to every single one of them. Yes, even _ that _one. This is Nessa’s copy.”

The affirmative noise he made let her know that she would be spared for the time being. “Sounds like her! You know, she would _ not _ stop talking about horror movie tropes. She just kept ranting about it! The entire flight! And you weren’t paying attention at _ all! _ Am I _ supposed _ to understand how this super cheap B rated film started the cliche of the ‘final girl’? It’s, like, a cult classic and I don’t get why! I mean, really? _ Really? _!? That one?”

Opal’s door refused to budge. Sonia bodily threw herself against it, once, twice, until it swung open with a dramatic creak. “I have no idea what you’re going on about, kiddo.”

Hop marched up the stairs, hauling Treble with him. Soot caked the front of his clothes. “That’s because you totally tuned her out! And the entire time, I was stuck thinking ‘Blimey! People analyze this stuff for a living!’ I almost _ cried, _sis!” 

“You wanna know my advice, Hop?”

He paused in the doorway. “What is it?” asked the boy.

Her smile was small and wry. “Don’t become a movie critic.” said the girl.

* * *

Illuminated as she was by the computer screen, Sonia looked half dead. Her eyes shone with anticipation, but beyond that and her flying fingertips, there were no other signs of life. She didn’t even seem to breathe. It was more than a little disturbing.

Rather than focus on her, Hop took the chance to look around. At first, he had thought that the gaudy exterior was for the sake of flexing and nothing else. A lot of his old classmates were like that. (That wasn’t a criticism he made lightly.) But he was beginning to realize that Opal’s sense of style was more incomprehensible than he first presumed.

Her home was a hodgepodge of various styles, contained chaos within four walls. At some point, she had apparently taken a hammer to some vases, leaving the shards displayed on ostentatious pedestals. Bright colors gave way to muted ones, each room clashing with the next. A thick, cloying scent lingered too, though it was more bearable in their little den. All of it together made him want to gag.

_ How does she live like this? _Hop thought to himself. His own home was far more cozy, even with the endless smothering. Each ripped canvas and haphazardly painted door almost felt more like a tribute than a conscious act. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was alright in this house. Was her devotion worth it all? And what was it all for?

His stomach churned. 

“Okay, Treble!” He exclaimed, seizing on the distraction. “You need to go back into your ball. We’ll be working soon!”

If her headbutt was a sign, she didn’t like that.

“Treble…” With a sigh, he sat before her, extending a hand. “You’re tracking coal marks all over the place. Besides, you’re too small to watch with us!” Translation: I can’t hold you up for 24 hours.

The Rolycoly whirred, a tad bit more miffed than usual. She wanted to watch too, damn it! That’s what he thought she might be trying to say.

The living-corpse-and-also-imposter swiveled around in Opal’s spinny chair. (Okay, maybe he watched too many horror films. Sue him!) “I _ can _relocate to the floor, you know. She can watch if she’d like.” 

Treble squealed in a very Rolycoly manner. Hop tried his damnedest to contain his sighs. Call it intuition, but he could already tell that Sonia would be spoiling her often. 

_ Until she gets a new home, anyway. _He vaguely felt like he might end up gagging. You know, just to shake things up a little.

Lying down on the floor provided a much needed distraction. Besides, Hop was very good at avoiding thoughts he didn’t especially like. There was an art to it. A nurtured finesse. He could live in this moment forever if he put the work in. That was the Galarian coordinator way! 

Not that he was one anymore, but the principle still applied! … Didn’t it?

“We’re ready to go here!” Sonia flashed him a thumbs up without looking. “Feed’s working! Sparky’s alert! Let’s do this!” 

He scooted closer to the laptop screen. “Alert? Are you sure?” From what little he saw, the Rotom wasn’t exactly as active as the rest of its kind.

“Positive. Take a gander at how good the quality is!”

To be fair, the spores were probably fucking with the livestream a little. Hop squinted his eyes, taking in the sight of the clearing. “Hey,” he began nervously, “were those mushrooms there before?”

_ Hindsight is 20/20. _ He lamented. _ I totally should have kept that to myself. She looks even _ more _ dead when her eyes are that huge! Scary! _

Watching her breathe heavily was more than a little disquieting. She kept opening her mouth like she was about to speak, but nothing would come out before she closed it again.

“Sonia?” Hop asked uncertainly. He _ really _wished he could keep his mouth shut for once. It’d do him a lot of good. Even Treble made an inquiring noise at the sight of her.

The sharp researcher finally settled on a disgruntled expression. “I really, _ really _hate this place, Hop.”

All he could do was agree and turn back to watching the screen. Some conversations weren’t meant for mortal men, and he was only so strong.

* * *

“Oh! A Pikachu!” The 12 year old exclaimed. “Wow! I’ve never seen one in the wild before!”

“That’s because they’re well suited for wooded areas.” Sonia always relished an occasion to talk about what she loved most: Pokémon and their habits. “They’ve truly adapted to a life in forests, though the kind in Glimwood Tangle are probably more resilient than the average Galarian strain.”

Hop tilted his head. “Yeah? How come?” 

“They have to reckon with those damn spores!” She gently thumped a fist on the wood. “Breathing that stuff in 24-7 isn’t good for your health, you know! Their little hearts could give out! They have to be strong!”

“Well, they’re very cute!” He cooed at the camera, completely ignoring the answer to his question. “Just look at its little- Awww, it’s gone… I guess it had places to be! Hey, do Pikachu have families?”

_ Huh. I guess he’s more inquisitive than I thought. _“Uh. Sometimes? It really depends on the time of year and where they live. Galarian ones usually don’t.” 

“Major bummer!” Now there was the characteristic whine. “That’d be cute! Imagine the baby Pikachu!”

“Pichu.”

“Eh?”

She resisted the urge to slap her forehead, but it was a close thing. Sometimes, he was _ so _much like Leon that it was physically painful to withstand. “Pichu. Baby Pikachu are Pichu.” 

“Oh! Yeah, I knew that.” Hop said with the confidence of thirty men (or one Leon, if you were keeping track). “That makes adult Pikachu Raichu, right?”

“No, no, Pikachu can be juveniles or adults. They don’t always evolve.” Sonia pointed out. “In this analogy, Raichu are your very cool grandparents.”

“... Do you think other regions have Pokémon nursing homes?”

“Hush up and focus on the livestream.”

“Roger!”

They sat in silence for a long while before the Morelull appeared on the screen. “Aaaa! Look, Sonia! Look!” Hop jabbed a finger at the screen. “They’re glowing!”

“I know, buddy.”

“Isn’t it _ cool _though?!? Why aren’t you happy?”

“I _ am _happy, Hop.”

He nudged her. Hard. In response, she slapped at his exposed arm, just to remind him who was running the show here. “Cut it out, you little terror.” 

“I’ll keep asking until you hear me talking in your _ dreams _. Gloria tells me I’m the most annoying boy she knows! And she knows a ton of them!” Unlike most people, he said this like it was a point of pride. 

“I’m sure she does.” Her words were sincere; Gloria’s class, so far as she could glean from the girl’s complaints, was pretty disproportionate and equally chaotic. “Anyway, I’m fine with the Morelull, believe me. It’s just worrisome. All of them evolving…”

Shiinotic.

It used to be said in Galar that those who stepped into fairy rings would be spirited away to another world. Years passed before people understood what Galarians of old were trying to warn them about. None of them were talking about normal mushrooms. 

When she was little, Sonia thought traveling to another world sounded like loads of fun. Then she got older, and she felt it was a funny little euphemism for death. Now? Now the thought scared her more than words could say.

Hop shuddered. “Oh. Yeah, never mind. Don’t evolve, cute Morelull!” She didn’t have the heart to tell him that they as a species were all deadly _ and _ found it easy to evolve without a trainer’s aid.

“Say, that’d totally explain the disappearances though!” He snapped his fingers. “What do you think, Treble?”

To her eyes, the poor Rolycoly looked disgruntled over being made to look away from the stream. _ Do you think I care? _She seemed to be saying.

Sonia was pretty sure she needed to stop anthropomorphising Pokémon.

Tuning out Hop’s frantic apologies, she redirected her attention towards the stream. Good thing Sparky was getting stimulation; she’d hate for it to start messing with the feed for kicks. 

Nothing was happening though. Who knew what would go down if this continued? _ Come on, Pokémon… _ She thought. _ Let’s be active, okay? Because if something doesn’t pop out right this instant, I think Sparky will lose it. And so will I. _

“HOLY SHIT, IS THAT A TAIL-”

* * *

  
Hop was having a bad time.

First was the tail. None of them were able to figure out what it belonged to before it dashed off screen, though Sonia felt it might be some sort of fox variant. “Maybe a Zorua?” She said hesitantly.

All he could do was shrug helplessly. This was hardly his area of expertise.

Then came what he quickly dubbed the Swirlix incident. (He was more than a little salty about that one.) Sonia insisted that she didn’t see a thing. Hop continued to argue that a Swirlix really _ was _there, but only for a few seconds. She ended up flicking him on the forehead to shut him up.

It didn’t hurt, not really, but the hit to his ego stung.

After that came a long waiting period before something small began floating across the screen. By the time it happened, the screen had already turned a startlingly yellow for a moment. “Damn it, Sparky…” Sonia grumbled. Hop wisely decided not to comment. 

He peered carefully at the cute Pokémon’s - or so he assumed - slow ascent. There was something familiar about it, in a way he couldn’t place. Had he seen one before? A floating stump… Wasn’t there a story like this?

Next to him, Sonia began nervously twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Yeah, there is.” She said, letting him know that he accidentally spoke his thoughts aloud again. “With Phantump, there are always those dead children stories unfortunately.”

Suddenly, it didn’t seem quite as adorable. “Are those tales true?” The subject handily fell into his ‘things I don’t like thinking about’ category, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. 

“Mmm. So far as we can tell? No.” Even so, her tone was incredibly somber. “They just sound a lot like wailing children at times. People jump to conclusions a lot, especially when grief is a factor. You know?”

“Yeah.” Hop agreed without really meaning it. Grief was another thing he tried not to think about whenever possible. Life felt more bearable when you cut out the nasty things in his opinion. “I get it.”

They both watched the spirit float off in silence. Once it had gone, Treble carefully nudged his arm, trying to get closer to his body. With a sigh, he relented, lifting it up to grant her access to his side. No doubt he’d have a hard time explaining the smudges to his mom later.

Silence.

More silence.

Oh! A bush! It just rustled!

Eugh. False alarm.

Back to silence.

And more silence.

And even more silence.

Then… 

“Woah, what was that?” Hop pointed at the far right side of the screen. “You saw it too, right?”

“Yes…?” She continued to blink like it’d help her see better. 

“... Ghost rodent?” He ventured. 

At those words, she perked up. “Could be! That’d sure be something to find, wouldn’t it?”

_ Oh right! She wants to find a new Pokémon! _How had he forgotten that? He’d have to make it up to her somehow.

But, for now, there was more silence.

Lots and lots of it.

Right when he was on the verge of getting up and running around the big horse to burn off some energy, there came a nausea-inducing sound.

_ Plip plop plip plop plip plop. _

“What _ is _that?” He scrunched up his nose, bewildered. “... Suckers?”

Sonia narrowed her eyes. “Nope. Just an Impidimp on the move. Look carefully.”

Sure enough, one of those pink abominations appeared, rustling a mushroom as it went. Said giant fungi glowed, giving off a quick puff of spores in the process. “I still find it hard to believe that they’re real!” Hop admitted. Back when he was younger, pictures of them looked faked. Although he was older now, it was weird to visualize them as actual Pokémon.

“I can assure you they are.” If there was a detector for displeasure, she’d be setting off its highest level. “I had one of those blighters as my starter after all!”

“Oh, Roxanne!” Sonia often talked about her as her ‘oldest Pokémon’; if he filed away facts about the creature, who was she to judge? While he had kept that status in mind, Hop knew that oldest didn’t equal starter all the time. “How come? Aren’t they super tricksy?”

Her eyes tracked the small thing’s every movement until it exited the field of view. “Yes. It was _ bad _, buddy. But Gran told me that she wouldn’t give me any of the main ones. I think it was supposed to teach me patience?” 

“Well, did it?”

“Absolutely _ not_.”

* * *

**FROM: **sonia123@umail.com

**TO: **mags@umail.com

**SUBJECT: Re: Roxanne**

_ But, Gran, it’s not that I hate her or think Impidimp are bad Pokémon. She’s very sweet about getting us all berries, okay? Her base personality is NOT the issue here. Roxanne just feels the need to act out, and with her typing, it gets worse and worse. I have no idea how to keep her calm, and she barely listens to me in battle! I’m really worried about it! Is a temporary trade really out of the question here? Please get back to me soon; I’m almost at a town. _

* * *

Doing field research involved a lot of tedium before anything interesting happened. Case in point: beyond some bushes rustling, there wasn’t a whole lot going in the clearing. It was comforting to be able to blame Opal when the going got tough; after all, she knew where all the best clearings was and had _ broken her promise. _Sonia was so, so tired of her. She suspected that her plight would only serve to amuse the actress though.

Right when she was considering how well she’d do in an all out battle against the woman (probably not too good because she was rusty, but the thought pleased her), movement began to happen across the screen.

“Oh gods! What is that?!?” Hop exclaimed excitedly, yellow eyes sparkling. 

“It’s-”

An Impidimp covered the screen. 

“NO!” Sonia screamed, beating her fists on the wood. “WHAT THE FUCK?”

If she knew her body language well (and she did), Hop was just as livid as she was. “HORSEY! COME BACK, HORSEY!” 

Even Treble spit up a lump of coal, effectively communicating her rage.

After conferring with one another, two humans and one rock came to some conclusions.

  1. Impidimp continued to be massive trolls.
  2. The horse in question was probably small and _definitely _colorful.
  3. They all wanted to see the horse in more detail.

“If we get to name it, I’m calling it Huehoof!” By now, his face was starting to be caked in soot, but he didn’t seem to notice. 

She snorted into her hand. “_ Huehoof _? That sounds like a start to a tongue twister. A bad one.”

Hop had a talent for looking betrayed on cue. “You just wish you came up with it first. Bleh!” He grumbled, sticking out his tongue for good measure. There was something endearing about the way he swung between childish and reasonable action. Someone with a better handle on their thoughts could have described it better, and she wasn’t that someone. She just hoped he could cling to that balance for a while longer.

That was all you could hope for when it came to a region like this.

* * *

  
“I’m still surprised we aren’t doing any ethograms.” Hop spoke up after a few more minutes of inactivity. He had taken a stretch break a while ago, but nothing had happened while he was helping out his aching muscles. Mostly, he was casting around for a way to break the silence at this point. Sitting still for so long reminded him of unpleasant things. Ugly things. Unspeakable things.

He didn’t like to think about it.

  
Sonia patted his head without even looking at him. “Kiddo, you don’t know what a bloody ethogram is.”

His cheeks caught on fire. “Of course I do!” He argued.

  
  
“If you did, you’d know it’s pointless to do here.” She countered, all casual. “I don’t know what kind of Pokémon live here, and making keys for each and every possibility is just a waste of time.”

“Eh? Keys? Like Klefki?” That sounded off. What did he know though? He was just another entry to a long list of-

_ Don’t think about it. _

“No, it’s more like…” She waved a hand in the air. “Jeez, you always pick the hardest things to explain!”

“Sorry!” Hop apologized automatically. Getting on Sonia’s bad side wasn’t at all what he wanted.

  
  
“Don’t apologize to me, you dolt!” She flicked his forehead, harder this time. “It means you’re _ clever _ . I’m just stating a fact, okay? Think of an ethogram as… something that marks the frequency of behaviors! Ideally, you’re gonna want to set a timer and watch one organism do its thing over and over again and then see how many times they do something in that little slot of time. But we’re not doing that for 24 fucking hours if we can’t even identify a godsforsaken _ horse _ .”  


“Oh.” Everything clicked at that moment. “Oh!” _ So that’s what an ethogram is! I’ve been blind this entire time! _

Her lips were curled into a lazy smirk. “Was that on your mind this entire time, Hop?” 

The redness in his cheeks refused to fade. “Augh! Leave me be, sis!” He ducked his head towards the ever loyal Rolycoly by his side. “She’s being _ mean, _ Treble.” was his conspiratorial whisper. “Do something!”  


Treble spit up a second lump of coal, though it was shot in Sonia’s direction. The researcher wrinkled her nose. “I am _ not _explaining any of this to Little Miss Perfect when she comes back.” She warned.

Hop smiled down at the tiny Pokémon. “Good girl!” He also had no intention of explaining it to the Fairy type specialist. Something about her general demeanor made him feel like he’d have to fight for his life if he acknowledged the coal at all.

A few more minutes trickled by before the color purple caught his eye. “Oh! A-”

Sonia’s face drained of color. “Shiinotic.” She finished the sentence for him. He tried his best to swallow the sudden wave of bile, but it was a close thing.

_ Don’t think about it. For the love of all that’s good and pure in this world, don’t think about any of it. _

He rolled his shoulders. “I think this clearing is cursed.” Thankfully, his words came out level; that was a close thing too.

“Nah. It’s all just nature, buddy.” But the joy in her tone wasn’t there anymore.

(If he were to write a book, he’d say that life’s full of complicated things happening to even more complicated people. But he’d probably make a video first, and a podcast second. People deserved to hear his cute voice!)

_ Plip plop plip plop plip plop. _  


Sonia rolled her eyes magnificently. “Ugh. Not again. Stop blocking the camera, you insufferable snot!” 

The Impidimp in question looked a bit bigger than the one from before, though he wasn’t very clear on how each one ranged in size. It put its nose up to the camera, fogging up the lens in the process.

“Sparky’s not going to like that…” She clicked her tongue.

With a screech, presumably because of getting shocked, the startled Pokémon leapt backwards, wild-eyed. 

“There it goes- SHIT! HORSEY!” Hop screamed. Was he being too loud? Probably! Did he care? Not in the slightest! It had gone by so fast, stealing his heart with it…

“_Hop, are you crying? _”

Turns out seeing cute horses could induce tears. Who knew? Luckily, Sonia had some tissues to spare. She was always so well prepared! Hop wanted to be more like her when he was older. As in, when he was 30.

“Are you alright?” Every so often, she took on a more contemplative persona, appraising people with a mere glance. 

He nodded, wiping away at the wet trails on his cheeks. “Of course! I just think the horses are cute!”

“That’s not what I mean, Hop.” 

At once, his hands froze, trapped in the midst of their ministrations. “Then what do you mean, Sonia?” He said slowly. Cautiously. Carefully. _ Let’s drop all pretenses, you and I. What’s really on your mind? _

Her eyes lacked all luster. “Why did you-”

A sharp knock sounded at the door. 

“I’ll get it!” He pulled himself off the floor, almost tripping over Treble in his haste. At the end of the day, Hop knew he was a coward when it came to conversations like these. It was best to avoid them at all costs.

After all, that had always worked for him before.

Opening the door from the inside took very little effort. Did Opal just like making things harder for herself? There were so many absurd things concerning the woman; what was one more in the end?

He peered out through the opening. Despite how loud the noise had been, there was no one standing there. A shiver ran down his spine. Were they being harassed? No, who would be brave enough to do that to a Gym Leader? 

_ Lots of people! _ His traitorous brain whispered. _ Look what happens to Milo! _

“Mmm…” Hop poked out his head worriedly, glancing from left to right. Maybe it was a Pokémon? That didn’t bode well. What sort of creature knocked like that? “Sonia, no one’s at the door.”

“Then close it and get back inside!” She snapped from further in. “There’s still spores in the air, you know!”

“Okay…” He replied, still very unnerved. Hopefully it had been a mistake. What else could the knock have been for? 

Hands came slamming down on his shoulders. Treble squealed with alarm. “Boo!” The assailant screamed, right in his ear.

Anyone would have forgiven him for shrieking loudly. He deserved to after something like that!

“Did you miss me?” Opal gushed, right there in the flesh. “Admit it! You were totally swooning over my return!” 

“No.” Luckily, he was starting to calm down already- Wait. “Can you stop doing that to me?!?”

She towered over him in a way he hadn’t properly processed the first time they met. “You want me to stop doing _ what _exactly? Be more specific!” 

Here were the facts, so far as Hop saw them. Yes, he was the brother of the strongest trainer in Galar, but that didn’t mean jack to anyone with true strength. In Opal’s house, he was just a kid. Going around accusing her of crimes in her own home just wouldn’t end well. He could sense it in his bones.

“... Never mind. I did wonder when you were coming back!”

Her slow smile told him that this was the right choice. 

“Good! You know, we’re hair buddies now!” She gestured to her new purple bob. “I obviously look better than you, so I wouldn’t call us _ twins _, but we can be friends! Wouldn’t that be neat? Your friends would be so jealous of you!”

“No, they wouldn’t.” Hop told her truthfully. “Vic doesn’t watch movies, and Gloria thinks you should still be in the minor league.” 

Instantly, the wave of serenity retracted from his mind. “You’re a little too honest when you’re calm, Sir Oaf. You should work on that!” Without any warning, or even asking, she hooked their arms together. “Let’s go see your pretentious friend!”

_ I don’t think she’s the pretentious one. _Hop thought quietly as she dragged him along, hoping she was too bored to listen in. Psychics were super scary! 

And the door closed soundlessly behind him.

* * *

Sonia was digging into her dinner when Hop returned with the acting nightmare in tow. “Come get your food, Hop.” She told him, ignoring Opal’s presence. Why the hell was she back so early? 

He scrambled to pick up the Tupperware. “Yum! Curry on rice! Thanks!” 

“You’re welcome.” She eyed Opal like an unpredictable predator. The woman basically _ was _one. “I see you’ve changed your hair again. How many times do you do that in one day anyway?”

“As many times as it takes to stay relevant!” Opal chirped in reply. It was such a distracting visual that Sonia almost missed her food being tugged away from her. 

“Oi!” She snarled angrily. “That’s mine, you know!” 

(Morelull were marching across the screen, but it didn’t seem to matter in the face of the Gym Leader eating _ her _food.)

Predictably, their hostess (and that was being generous) gagged. “This is genuine trash.” She said in a sunny tone of voice, tossing the container directly at her head. Sonia caught it, but only just barely. “It’s, like, an actual affront against the gods! Why would you make me eat this?”

“You _ stole _it from me!”

“What?” Opal cupped a hand over her ear. “I can’t hear wrong people.” 

Unbelievable. She was unbelievable! Sonia fumed as she ate another spoonful of her meal. Who was she to mock a dish she put her heart and soul into?

“Your heart and soul must taste like shit too then!” Opal quipped. Oh right. She was the kind of person who never passed up a chance to poke fun at someone’s internal monologue. 

“Piss off.” She grumbled, but without any real heat to it. So many hours, and what was going to do her in was a person who didn’t take anything seriously. There was a joke in there somewhere.

Unfortunately, they had to shuffle to make room for her. She reeked, like someone had doused her in vanilla. Disgusting. 

“You know,” Opal smiled brightly at them all, “I told all of my trainers and little fans about your stupid, uber boring livestream! Last I heard, 40 something thousand people were watching! Aren’t you happy with me? Don’t you want to give me affection and loads of money? Say yes!” 

Sonia raised an eyebrow. “Since when did I tell you to do something like that? And whose fault is it that it’s boring?”

“Uh, yours?” She twittered. “I thought this was supposed to be _ exciting! _What happened to picking somewhere busy, darling?”

“I. Am. Going. To. Strangle. You.” Enunciating each syllable clearly was _ important. _

“Ooo! Fun!” Opal clapped her hands. “I haven’t been threatened in ages! You know, Sonia, if you were literally anyone else, I’d like you so much!” 

As much as she didn’t want to die (she had too many things to do), interacting with her for too long made her want to hug a Chandelure. _ Go away, go away, go away! _

The actress laid down on the floor, staring right at the computer. “Okay! I’ve decided to grace you both with my presence! This is going to be amazing!”

Five minutes later, Opal had conked out. Good riddance. 

Hop looked disturbed. “Is she, like, okay?” It was a valid question. 

“Yeah. She’s probably just ‘pooped’ again.” Opal could fall asleep anywhere; she knew that from experience. “Don’t worry about it.”

As much as Sonia wanted to bring up the Donphan in the room, she didn’t put it past the woman between them to fake sleeping for the sake of gossip. She _ also _ knew that was a possibility from experience. Plus, Hop looked so stressed before Opal returned home. She didn’t want to put him through more of that.

_ I’ll talk to him later. _ She mused. _ When things are a little easier. _

A few hours slipped by.

By then, Hop was curled around Treble. Both were fast asleep. If only Sparky was here! It would have made a cute wallpaper for Leon. She’d make up some story about the Rolycoly if he asked. _ I really need a regular phone. They’re outdated, but it’d make a good investment… _

Honestly, her eyelids were starting to drag. She was used to pulling all-nighters, but the forest was eerily silent. The mushrooms had changed again at one point; she didn’t want to think about that too hard.

In the back of the clearing, a bush rustled.

“Horse!” She shouted, loud enough to wake the dead. Opal didn’t twitch. 

Bleary yellow eyes blinked open. “What’s going on?” He sat up, yawning. 

“Look!” She pointed at the creature slowly walking across the screen. “Isn’t it adorable?”

Hop immediately plastered himself to the screen. “Wow…” He gasped, breathless. “It’s like a cotton candy Ponyta! Vic would love this! I’m totally going to catch one for him one day!”

“Why not catch one for yourself?” Sonia pointed out. “Galarian Ponyta are sweet, according to the current research. You could be one of the first trainers of one!”

His smile was very small. “One would probably like being with him better. There’s a lot of space back home, and I’m sure the Wooloo would get along with it!” 

That was a deflection if she ever heard one. “If you’re sure.” She said, unconvinced. Victor had never expressed any interest in horses before, though he _ had _complained about how difficult it was to get Skiddo imported from overseas. It surely would have come up before.

The small horse continued to walk until it was out of sight.

* * *

**FROM: ** _ itsopalbinch@galarleague.net _

**TO: ** _ herecomeskabu@galarleague.net _

**SUBJECT: Re: Re: Sparkle Horse**

_ And I’m telling you! They’re absolutely Fairy type! This is why you’re minor league, buddy. You have no sense!!! _

* * *

Opal opened her eyes. The sound of light chatter washed over her like a wave. So the peons were talking without her. Why was she even surprised?

“Morning!” She sang, ignoring the bad taste in her mouth. “See anything good?”

“Just some Galarian Ponyta and Morelull.” Sonia’s resentment was always suffocating. It was such a nice sensation that it almost made up for how repulsive she found her in exchange.

“_Booooring_.” Her head felt lighter than it should. Slowly, she reached up to touch her scalp, brushing against buzzed hair. “Hey. Where’s my wig?”

“I took it off! I thought it might get damaged, so I put it on the dresser!” Hop blurted out. Worry. Stress. “Please don’t be mad.”

She pressed her hands to her cheeks. The littlest nuisances were always the sweetest ones! “You’re so cute! I kinda want to squish you like a gnat!” Opal squealed excitedly. What fun!

Sharp nails pinched her thigh. “If you somehow cling to your major league spot, you can. For now, leave him the hell alone.” Having to listen to her speak was a torture in of itself, but she was strong. This irritant wouldn’t dampen her mood! No one could!

Smiling at Sonia felt like the right thing to do when you were the bigger person. “Of course!” She cooed. “Why are you so tense anyway? Need a massage?”

“Don’t touch me please.”

Opal began pulling out her contacts. “Suit yourself!” Jeez, did she fall asleep with _ everything _on? She must have seemed like a total rookie! 

Anger. Curiosity. Boredom. Insecurity. 

_ Calm down. _ She radiated peace. _ Serenity now. _

All of their pointless emotions became pleasant white noise.

“Why are you so obsessed with casual crimes?” Sonia couldn’t leave well enough alone.

“You need to chillax! Literally the only person with a problem here is you!” She pointed a manicured finger in her direction. “Go back to watching your dumb livestream before I vomit.”

This was why she preferred the company of her trainers. At least they were cute! She missed their angelic voices already.

Hop shifted into a more comfortable position. His ugly companion was stationary in his lap. That had to be a little uncomfortable, but with her influence, the discomfort wasn’t registering. “I hope more things happen soon. The stream’s almost over!”

A Pikachu jumped in front of the camera. “There you go! Things!” She cackled, ignoring his weak scream. The sudden spike of fear felt refreshing. Clearly, jumpscares remained a tried and true aspect of any filmed masterpiece. How could she have been so blind?

The air shifted the moment Sonia broke free of her fog. Disgust rolled off of her, but she held her tongue. Good for her. Opal couldn’t (and wouldn’t) be held accountable for anything that would have resulted from the research assistant acting on her thoughts.

“I’m going to head to the powder room and spruce up a little. Excuse me!” Opal stood, striding away into the house. Her morning routine was all off! She refused to turn ugly just because of a bastard and her adorable friend. 

Distantly, she watched makeup swirl away down the drain. Today was a great day; she could feel it in her bones. Nuisances aside, they’d be announcing the major league today! She couldn’t wait to see Kabu choke on his spit again! Plus, there was a bet going on, and she planned on winning.

Kabu or Opal? That was what it always came down to, and she wouldn’t be going down without a fight. Chairman Rose himself told her to change her theme! That _ had _to mean something!

She smacked her lips. Perfect. _ You’re beautiful as always, darling! You’re a knockout! _ A modern day Narcissus, she blew a kiss at her reflection. His death had never made sense to her; who _ didn’t _want to love themselves?

One blonde wig and two blue contacts later, she was back with the three invaders of her humble abode. “See anything interesting?”

“Just more Impidimp!” Hop told her. “They’ve been pretty annoying!”

“Aw, that stings! I love those little guys! They’re really good for early badge challenges.” She decided not to mention that her particular brood was more bloodthirsty than the average kind. He could figure it out for himself later.

Sonia clicked her nails on the wooden floor. “Well, we’re almost done. We have about a minute left. If something’s going to happen, it’s gotta be now. Sparky refuses to work for longer than 24 hours.”

“Sparky?” Impressions slammed into her, dragging her out to sea. “Oh, a Rotom! You nickname those things?” 

“Why not?” 

Opal beamed at her. “That almost makes you endearing!” 

“Shh!” Hop interrupted them before Sonia could snap back at her; good on him. “I hear galloping!”

Just then, two Ponyta came trotting into view. One allowed the other to nuzzle them and leech off some life energy. The glow was just so pretty! They both looked up into the sky before beginning to dance around each other. With happy squeals, they both ran off into the underbrush, leaving the clearing behind.

“Did you see the one missing a tail? Poor little guy!” She clicked her tongue sympathetically. It’d be a hard life for that one. Maybe she’d go out and catch it for some snot-nosed kid in the village. But, then again, that sounded like an awful amount of effort for one horse. Eh, she’d decide later.

Next to her, the young boy was vibrating. “_This is the best day of my life.” _

For everyone in Glimwood Tangle, Ponyta weren’t exceptional. The strange horses were just a part of life. They could even be dangerous if someone was on the verge of death. It was nice to see a young kid actually excited about them for once. What a novel concept.

The video clicked off. 

“Shit!” Sonia scrambled forward. “Why did it cut the visuals?!? It’s not even time yet!”

“Can you shut up? _ Please? _Spare my eardrums!” Opal groaned. “You still have audio!” 

_ SCREEEE. _

“... Hey, what the _ fuck _ was that?” 

* * *

_Possible existence of Galarian Rapidash confirmed??? Need more evidence._

_ Note: reprimand Sparky over the visuals later. Give them extra charge to make up for overexertion. _

_ TALK TO HOP WHEN YOU GET HOME. _

* * *

“It’s honestly disappointing that there wasn’t any conclusive evidence of a new Pokémon species.” Sonia lamented through the face mask.

(Opal wasn’t wearing one. Glimwood Tangle residents were _ terrifying _.)

“There’s plenty that we don’t know about those Ponyta. Like their typing for one! I bet they’re Fairy types, but no one’s been willing to come and test them. Can you believe that? You scientists are all cowards!” 

“I can. It’s too dangerous here.”

Walking on the path was confusing. It kept on twisting in on itself, but Opal seemed to know the way instinctively. “Always wait for the crossroads to resolve themselves. They’re just bored!” She had warned earlier when they reached one that hadn’t existed before. Sonia was too tense to ask who ‘they’ were.

The actress pouted. “You lot need to live a little! Since when did a Pokémon-infested forest cause any harm in Galar? We’re not Kanto!” 

“People die here too, you know. We saw the Phantump.” She hated to use a legend as proof, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Please!” Opal shrugged her off. “That’s just a myth! Let’s keep going!”

Above them, Cottonee drifted on the wind. She hoped they were happier than she was at the moment. Staying awake for so long wreaked havoc on her mood, and Opal wasn’t helping. _ Soon. _ She told herself. _ We’ll be out of here soon. _

The sound of notes being played reached her ears.

Sonia stopped dead in her tracks. She had heard that before. But where? It was so beautiful. So faint, but lovely still. She wanted to hear more of it. Hell, she’d shake the musician’s hand! What kind of person would confine their song to the woods? Everyone should hear it! Everyone should experience this sensation of utter wonder!

Sharp nails dug into her flesh. “Are you _ stupid _?” Someone spoke loudly, making it harder to hear the song. She struck out at them. How dare they hold her hostage! Couldn’t they see she had somewhere to be?

_ Smack. _

Pain exploded in her cheek. “Ow!” She howled, clutching her face. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with _ you _?” Opal countered, fire glowing in her eyes. “I had to hit you! You made me mar my delicate skin just to snap you out of your little daze! Just why would you try stepping off the path?”

_ Stepping off the path? _ Nausea settled in her gut. _ Why would I ever do that? _

“Forget it!” She huffed. “Don’t even try to tell me. I don’t want to hear it! Apologize!”

“I’m sorry, Hop, for scaring you.” Sonia rubbed at her cheek. “I don’t know what got into me.”

“It’s okay!” He smiled shakily; she could tell by the way the face mask moved. “I’m just happy you’re alright!”

Opal looked just about ready to explode. “To _ me! _ Apologize to _ me!_”

She glanced her over, unimpressed. “My bad for punching you.” Her main regret was that she didn’t fully remember even doing it. It wasn’t like the woman would bruise anyway.

A smile returned to her face. “Better!” She sang. “But do it again and I won’t be so nice!” 

_ If a slap’s your idea of nice, I’d hate to see anything else. _

A few more minutes passed in relative silence, broken up by Treble’s random grunts, until Opal stepped off the path herself. “Here we go! Your clearing!”

Sonia scrambled forward. “Sparky! Wake up!”

The camera clicked to life. 

She averted her gaze from the emerging Rotom - it was too early in the morning to be confronted with things the brain struggled to comprehend. Her phone powered up with a little jingle, letting her know that it got back to the device alright. “You scared me!” She scolded it. “We’ll talk about what you did later. Now _ sleep.” _

For once, the Rotom did as told. Experimental phone models really weren’t worth it half the time.

“Hey!” Hop pointed at a nearby bush. “There’s some clumps of hair!”

Opal drifted over to his side. “Oh! Ponyta hair!” She snatched up a smaller chunk. 

“Why do you need that?” Sonia glared at her suspiciously. 

“Personal use!” Nothing about the statement was particularly illuminating. “I’ll so graciously let you have the rest for your analysis stuff or whatever it is you people do all day.” 

“Thank you, Opal!” Hop shoved the rest into a Ziplock bag she gave him earlier. She had no idea how the kid could tolerate her.

With a sigh, she returned to dismantling her camera. Some questions were best left unanswered.

* * *

“If _ I’m _ perfect and _ you’re _ passable… Then who’s flying the Corviknight?!? Haha, just kidding! It’s me!” 

“Did you just ‘haha’ out loud like some kind of tool?”

“Did you just speak without a signed permission slip again, darling?”

* * *

  
Another perfect landing. Sonia still had no clue what her secret was.

Before she could react appropriately by shoving her away, Opal enveloped her in a tight hug. “It was so nice to see you!” She gushed. “Make sure to keep in touch!”

“I won’t.”

The actress put her mouth close to her ear, still clinging onto her. “Be careful.” 

Her eyes widened a bit, though she tried to control the involuntary reaction. “Huh?” She said very eloquently.

“Did you not hear me the first time, dumbass?” Opal hissed, voice hushed. “You oughta question why you end up where you’re meant to be more often. If the right thing got its hook into you, you’d be a goner. And if it weren’t for me, that would have already happened. So. Be. Careful.” 

Sonia pushed her with her sole free hand. “Don’t tell me stuff I already know.” Really, she just continued to be the bane of her existence. 

She beamed. “If you say so! Bye, Hop! It was nice meeting you too! I can’t wait to crush you in a battle one day!”

“Hey! That’s my line!” Hop laughed mirthfully. “Treble and I will show you!”

Only one of them was joking.

Opal clambered back onto her giant bird. “Sure, sure! I’m looking forward to it, darling! Toodles!”

With those parting words, she took off into the sky, leaving them both behind at the train station. 

Watching Hop’s face change in real time to a more genuine expression was more than a little strange. “She’s pretty weird!” He exclaimed, trembling a little.

Sonia laughed. “You said it! Not me!”

Getting an extra return ticket was less of a hassle. The attendant was happy to serve them both. “I love watching your old matches!” She told her, all aglow with contentment. It was her sincere wish to grow into an adult like this woman.

“Thank you so much! Please have a good day!” It was the least she could do.

Everything else passed by in a blur until they were already seated on the train. Rush hour was hellish no matter what, but they managed to secure two nice seats next to each other. It helped that Hop had a cute Pokémon by his side.

“Goodbye, Treble.” He looked so pitiful, just staring at this Rock type like she was breaking his heart. “It was really cool to be with you for the past few days! Thank you for being so funny and sweet!”

The Rolycoly appeared dejected too, if her eye was any indication. Only someone unbearably cruel would think of prolonging their torture. Sonia personally couldn’t bear it.

“It’s okay.” She patted his shoulder. “I already decided when I saw you two interacting what would happen next. If you can keep her a secret until you’re 13, you can keep Treble.”

His eyes bulged. “You mean it, sis?!?” His enthusiasm was contagious; she found herself smiling widely in response. “That’s amazing!”

“No lies here. I hope you two will be happy together.” 

_ But there was never any doubt about that. _ She thought as she watched him hoist her up into the air happily. _ Hop and Pokémon were always meant to be. _

The train pulled out of the station, leaving her various worries and pet peeves behind.

Once again, let’s have a final good riddance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this mostly benefits from the fact that I am treating this as rudimentary setup for a longer sort of story in this region. I’m not brave enough to write it NOW like SOME talented people (*cough cough*), but a lot of this will be used and/or referenced later on, mainly because I’ve been having so much fun with Galar and Pokémon in general lately. That being said, this is (so far as my writing schedule goes), the 2nd to last fic I plan on doing before release for SWSH. That might change if my super secret conditions for being motivated (spite because of [redacted], along with [data expunged]) are met, but ultimately, that is the plan!
> 
> Regardless, this is... so long... ugh. It’s 9K. And it deleted itself 3 times, so.
> 
> Anyway, I won’t do notes this time, but! if you want to talk to me about this, you can here or at my Tumblr, bi-Hop! Thanks so much for reading!!!


	7. Epilogue

Gloria rubbed at her temples. “So you’re telling me that you went to a dangerous, Pokémon-ridden forest? With Sonia? And you didn’t let us know?”

”Uh! Yeah!” Hop winced. 

She put out her arms. “_Come here_.”

He stood his ground. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he dead now


End file.
